The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-11-03

meeting a DELEGATE, to cooperate with
the State Alliance of Texas in the ex-
tension of the work. It was there
shown that there was already in exist
ence an organization in the northwest
ern States calling itself the National
Farmers Alliance but that it was a
very loose organization, and was O
secret, that the door to membership
was to wide for it to meet the wants
of the times in the South. 1t was the
prevailing sentiment, that none but
those most interested in farming
should ever be admitted. It was, after
a full investigation, decided that the
organization as it existed in Texas, and
the other States of the South to which
it had spread from and by the author
ity of the Texas Alliance, could accom-
plish nothing by joining the National
Farmers Alliance Of the Northwest,
and in view of the fact the cotton belt
of Americe was a circumscribed coun-
try, there was a necessity for a Ma
tional of those residing in the cotton
belle, to the end that the. whole world
of cotton raisers might be united for
self protection. This was a grand con
ception, and one susceptible of results
beyond our expectations. 1t was
therefore decided to organize in con
n%ection with Louisiana, a National
Farmers Alliance and Cooperative
Union of America. To make it a
strong National order, with the one
great battle cry of cooperation as the
universal principal upon which all
could unite. Cooperation in it's broad
est sense, that is that we will assist
one another, that we will stand shout
der to shoulder in bearing the crosses
and burdens of life, that we will intel
ligently pull together in everything,
in buying and selling, in producing
and consuming.
There is a necessity for enlightened
cooperation in everything leaving
local issues for local or State Alliances
to settle. The necessity for the extern
sion of the work lay in the fact that
other States were in as bad a con
dition as Texas and Louisiana, and
that as the interests of the cotton pro-
ducer were identical, and the evils
from which they were suffering gen
orally, the greatest good could not be
effected without uniting the whole
cotton belt. 1t was necessary to the
local business experiments already
commenced, that they be made gen
eral and be participated in by all Of
our class, in order that they prove a
greater success. Single towns or
counties could not inaugurate a move
that would affect the cotton business
much, and a whole State could not
accomplish as much acting alone as it
could in conjunction with the other
ten. 1t will be seen then that in the
organization of this National Associa-
ton, the object was to organize the
agriculturists of the cotton belt for
business purposes and that purpose
has been carried out, and has been
found to give sufficient scope to the
ability of all, and that the dissentions
spoken of in the early history of the
order, in regard to politics and other
subjects have entirely died out, and
given place to an enlightened effort to
accomplish something grand-a bust
ness organization.
If we look back through the history
of this and other countries, we will
see that some branches of industry
have always been knocking at the
doors of Legislation, and when weak,
begging for class laws that would as
sist their business efforts; if they we're
strong, they would either demand or
buy such favors +; but in either case
they have too often been successful.
1t is proverbial that the other two
great classes of production, the manu-
featuring and the commercial, which
includes railroads and transportation
lines, have been largely built up to
their present condition Of wealth and
prosperity by government favors and
assistance. Now if this be true, at
whose expense has the government
done this, as there are only three
classes of producers? It must evil
IDENTIFY have been at the expense of
the third class, which is the great
agricultural. The agricultural class
then, has not only received no govern
ment ~favors, but has been bled to n
rich other classes. This is now fully
realized, and is productive Of a deter
mination on the part Of our people to
submit to such wrongs no longer. But